Review by Booklist Review
With numerous awards and publication credits under her belt, Lucille Clifton has more than proven her worth over a long poetic career. In her twelfth collection, Clifton again showcases her gifts of a musical ear attuned to everyday language, a Zen-like minimalism of form and sentence structure, and keen perception that sees beyond obvious realities to a deeply spiritual realm. From the wreckage of what is lost in life to such forces as cancer and terrorism, to the redemption of what remains, like birth and otherworldly assistance, Clifton's voice speaks truth and sings hope. One can see a bit of Dickinson here, as well as Gwendolyn Brooks. And in the last section of Mercy, The Message from the Ones (a kind of angelic channeling), there is poignancy akin to Rilke's Duino Elegies. Clifton is a poet who should attract a diverse audience. In fact, her poems are so accessible, and appear so straightforward, that one could easily mistake them as simplistic; but that is something her work will never be. --Janet St. John Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
The prize-winning Clifton's many volumes of poetry (e.g., Two-Headed Woman) have long been celebrated for their spirited concern with race, family, female identity, and sexuality. Her latest book, which confronts difficult topics like death, cancer, and the tragedy of 9/11, continues to explore these motifs. But Clifton also addresses a larger issue of the process of learning, that is, how we comprehend abuse and love, "the shape of an unsafe life." In wise, patient language, her poetry searches for the deeper significance of ordinary life. These unadorned, compassionate poems encourage us to move beyond disenchantment and hate to discover all that is marvelous in the world. Despite her "quarrels with/ insignificant life," she concludes that "we have risen away from all that/ wrapped in understanding." Trusting that we are ever preparing for the future, Clifton offers a mature, splendid vision that enables her to find "wholeness/ holiness" and a "flash of silence" in each person's life. Recommended for all libraries. Frank Allen, Northampton Community Coll., Tannersville, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.